dinputs

Dinputs is an informal term used to refer to input devices that are accessed through the DirectInput API, a component of Microsoft DirectX. DirectInput dates from early DirectX releases and was used to handle keyboards, mice, joysticks, game controllers, and other HID devices. In many gaming communities and emulator frontends, “dinputs” is shorthand for DirectInput devices or their configuration data.

DirectInput provides device enumeration, data formats, and input state retrieval for a wide range of peripherals. It supports devices with multiple axes, buttons, and point-of-view (POV) hats, and can operate in different cooperative modes to manage how applications share input with the system. While powerful for legacy devices, DirectInput is considered older compared with newer input APIs such as Raw Input and XInput.

Historically, DirectInput was the standard for game controllers before the widespread adoption of XInput, which is optimized for Xbox-compatible devices. XInput simplifies controller support but is limited to a subset of devices, whereas DirectInput remains necessary for many legacy controllers, specialized joysticks, and non-XInput gamepads. Because of this, many games and emulators expose both DirectInput (dinputs) and XInput options to maximize device compatibility.

In software practice, the term dinputs may appear in configuration files or UI labels that map hardware devices to in-game actions. Users can often select which input API to use for a given device or game, switch mappings, or calibrate axes through DirectInput interfaces. As input APIs evolve, some applications de-emphasize DirectInput in favor of newer methods, but the concept of dinputs continues to be relevant for compatibility with older hardware.